PRICING YOUR HOME TO SELL CORRECTLY

PRICING YOUR HOME TO SELL CORRECTLY

Pricing

Setting your asking price correctly is the key to successful results. Guided by our local market expertise, you’ll be able to make that decision with confidence.

It is important to remember that the value of your home is ultimately not set by you, but rather by the amount of money a buyer is willing to pay for it at any given time.

PROPERTIES PRICED RIGHT:

Increase showings

Bring more interested buyers

Creates ease in the appraisal process

Keeps the prime market momentum

Sends a message about your motivation to SELL!

OVERPRICED PROPERTIES:

Helps sell the competiions

Reduce showings

Loose buyers unwilling to negotiate

Loose prime momentum

Sends a message to buyers about your motivation. (Or lack of!)

 

The best marketing in the world will not sell your home!

 

John Marcotte
Marcotte Real Estate Group
720-771-9401

john@boulderhomes4u.com

Search for homes on my website @ www.boulderhomes4u.com

When thinking of Real Estate, think of John Marcotte
I’m never too busy for your referrals.

 

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Boulder homes for sale

Home prices still rising

Home prices still rising

 

Recovery in the housing market continues to hold strong both nationally and locally. Help has been provided from a decline in foreclosures that weighdown on overall prices and A drop in the unemployment rate is also helping to support the housing recovery. Denver once again hit record highs for home prices.

But with mortgage rates significantly higher in recent months, the pace of price increases is slowing. Experts said the slowing of the monthly increase is not necessarily a bad thing, as it will reduce the chance of another bubble in home prices.

“It’s good to see the pace of home value appreciation moderate, allowing the market to get back into a more sustainable balance and not topple over,” said Stan Humphries, chief economist of home price tracker Zillow.com. “Home value appreciation is better when it’s boring, and we expect to see continued moderation.”

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John Marcotte

720-771-9401

Search all Boulder homes for sale 

Foreclosures down 73.7% in state

 Foreclosures down 73.7% in state

This foreclosed home is being sold by Auction.com.

This foreclosed home is being sold by Auction.com.

Total foreclosure activity in Colorado fell by 73.7 percent in August from August 2012, the biggest year-over-year percentage drop in the U.S, according to a report released today byRealtyTrac.

Colorado’s drop is more than twice that of the 33.6 percent for the entire nation, according to the report.

Colorado foreclosure activity dropped 35 percent in August from July, while nationally, total foreclosures fell by 1.78 percent on a month-to-month basis.

RealtyTrac ranked Colorado No. 37th in foreclosure activity.

Before the foreclosure crisis gripped the entire nation about five years ago, RealtyTrac often ranked Denver No. 1.

Nationally, foreclosure activity has now decreased on an annual basis for 35 consecutive months, according to RealtyTrac.

“The foreclosure floodwaters have receded in most parts of the country, but lenders and communities continue to clean up the damage left behind, which means the recent uptick in bank repossessions is a trend that will likely continue into next year,” said Daren Blomquist, vice president at RealtyTrac.

“Meanwhile foreclosure flash floods will continue to hit some markets over the next few months as delayed foreclosure starts are quickly pushed into the pipeline,” Blomquist said. “This was the case with the jump in Nevada foreclosure starts in August.”

InsideRealEstateNews.com

 

 

John Marcotte

720-771-9401

Search all Boulder homes for sale 

 

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Flooding taking toll on tight market

 

Flooding taking toll on tight market

This photo is making the rounds on Facebook and elsewhere on the Web.

This photo is making the rounds on Facebook and elsewhere on the Web.

The torrential rains that damaged or destroyed close to 20,000 homes will have a profound impact on the Front Range housing and rental markets. Floods can wreak havoc on your home, necessitating urgent attention and expertise in water damage remediation services. Water damage restoration services, such as DrierHomes logo, play a crucial role in restoring the damages caused by floods.

“No. 1, this is not just going to effect our market for the next few weeks or a month, but this will have an impact for six months or a year from now,” said Chris Mygatt, president of Coldwell BankerResidential Brokerage in Colorado.

Some people, after dealing with their home insurance companies and the government, will decide to rebuild.

“We don’t have a handle yet on how many people will want to remain a homeowner at that location; that is something we still need to quantify,” he said.

Some may want to remain homeowners, but not at their current locations, he said.

“Existing homes available along the Front Range will become more available, because there will be fewer homes,” he added.

Rebuilding won’t be easy.

Even before the flooding, new home builders already were struggling to find construction workers.

“Now, homebuilders and people who lost their homes will be competing with each other for workers,” Mygatt said. “That is going to mean a lot of new construction jobs available, which will be good for the economy.

“That is maybe one silver lining to this terrible tragedy.”

Also, almost everyone displaced will need some kind of short-term to long-term housing, even if they plan to move back to their exiting home. One woman in Lyons, who was evacuated, for example, said she may not be able to return to her home for a year, even though it escaped any major damage.

“That is going to put a lot of pressure on an already tight apartment rentalmarket,” Mygatt said. InsiderRealEstateNews.com

 

 

 

John Marcotte

720-771-9401

Search all Boulder homes for sale 

 

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Boulder Beer Company: Colorado’s Oldest Microbrewery

 

Boulder Beer Company: Colorado’s Oldest Microbrewery

Boulder Beer tap board

These days, when you think Boulder, you think beer. But that wasn’t the case in 1979, when two CU professors received the 43rd brewing license issued in the United States and the Boulder Beer Company was born. That’s right. Boulder Beer is officially Colorado’s first microbrewery and after 35 years, is still putting out many tasty brews.

The flagship Boulder beers are the mountain bike-inspired Singletrack copper ale, the Buff Gold, a light beer which is a homage to the town’s university and the Planet Porter, the brewery’s oldest recipe and a delicious addition to a milkshake. But the beer that Boulder brewing might be most famous for is it’s innovative Hazed & Infused. First introduced in 2002, Hazed is an unfiltered dry-hopped amber ale and is definitely the most popular beer that Boulder Beer makes. When driving around, it’s hard to miss the ubiquitous Hazed stickers that cover town.

Boulder Beer brewpubThe food at Boulder Beer is above-average pub fare, with beer pairings suggested for each dish and much of the cuisine  featuring beer as an ingredient. From the beer-battered fish & chips to the Schooner salad that features fresh greens on a bed of pub fries, you’re sure to find something to help soak up that beer. And don’t forget that there are also daily food specials including a very popular event, $2 tacos all day on Saturday.

With ample seating, a bar area, private room and gorgeous back patio, Boulder Beer has created a perfect gathering spot. The brewpub’s central location makes for easy meetups and a calendar packed full of community events means that there’s always something fun going on. From weekly music nights to beer festivals galore, Boulder Beer exemplifies the feeling of a neighborhood watering hole. Of course, it helps that this watering hole has $3.50 happy hour pints of beer brewed on premises and bikes available for rent right outside the front door.

If you haven’t checked out Boulder Beer yet, you have no excuse. They’re both dog and kid-friendly, so don’t just wait until you have folks visiting from out of town to show off this local gem. It’s an oldie and with each passing day, it’s even more of a goodie. YourBoulder.com Tara Caliman.

 

John Marcotte

720-771-9401

Search all Boulder homes for sale 

 

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Blood Drive with Bonfils

Blood Drive with Bonfils

Date: Sunday August 4th, 2013
Time: 9:00 AM to 1:30 PM
Location: First United Methodist

 

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First United Methodist Church and Bonfils Blood Center are hosting a blood drive. All are invited to join this important cause for our community. Contact kimberly.cattau@gmail.com to sign up.

 

 

 

John Marcotte

720-771-9401

Search all Boulder homes for sale 

 

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Boulder Self-Storage Options for Your Stuff

Boulder Self-Storage Options for Your Stuff

We tap into self storage for a wide variety of reasons. Maybe you’re a student heading home for the summer and moving next semester. Perhaps you just relocated here and are in temporary housing.

Or maybe (cough) your garage is just too full of…everything…and you need to make some room. Well, Boulder’s got its fair share of places for you to store your stuff. All you have to do is get it there.

If you’re moving, you might want to check into either the U-haul or Budget Truck Rental locations in Boulder, as both have on-site storage units. It’s never a bad idea to kill two birds with one stone — pick up a truck, pick up our stuff, move what you’re keeping, and then drop the truck and load up your storage unit at the same time.

One note we will send your way, however, is that with the large student population in Boulder, storage units tend to move fast and you could be hard-pressed to find one with short notice. So no snoozing or losing.

When classes are about to let out for the winter or summer at the University of Colorado – Boulder, that’s when the swarm is on with students and storage units. Always call ahead to see if one is available before just showing up. Better yet, call the storage facility of your choice in advance and make sure they have vacancy!

If you find yourself stuck short and without a storage unit when you need one most, you can do a search for self-storage facilities in nearby Broomfield. There’s generally a lot more availability and, while you might have to drive 10 minutes outside of Boulder, your belongings will find a safe and secure home until you’re ready to use them again.

Here’s a list of the storage facilities in Boulder — happy packing!

Ace Self Storage
4587 North Broadway Street, Boulder, CO
(303) 444-7870

Arapahoe Self Storage
6389 Arapahoe Rd, Boulder, CO
(303) 449-5851

Boulder Bins Self Storage
4900 Broadway, Boulder, CO
(303) 443-2002

Boulder Self Storage
6439 Arapahoe Rd, Boulder, CO
(303) 440-0820

SecurCare Self Storage
5815 Arapahoe Ave, Boulder, CO
(877) 907-1649

U-Haul of Boulder
4640 N Broadway, Boulder, CO 80304
(303) 442-2655

By Erika Napoletano

Search Boulder Homes for sale

John Marcotte

720-771-9401

Search all Boulder homes for sale 

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A Boulder Timeline

A Boulder Timeline

1858

Gold is discovered in Dry Creek [Englewood], stimulating the Pikes Peak Gold Rush.
First permanent Anglo-European Settlers arrived at mouth of Boulder Canyon.

A party of gold prospectors led by William Russell entered eastern Kansas territory and set up camp at the confluence of the Cherry Creek and Platte Rivers. They founded the town of Auraria which was comprised of a few log cabins. After initial failure they finally struck gold in the Dry Creek, an offshoot of the South Platte. The site was just northwest of the modern highway intersection of U.S. 285 and Interstate-25. 30,000 prospectors quickly followed in their footsteps.


1859

First reported gold discovery in mountains of Colorado at Gold Run [Gold Hill area].

The Boulder City Town Company was formed on February 10, 1859. A.A. Brookfield, one of the first settlers in the area, was named president and was joined by 60 other shareholders. The land along Boulder Creek was parceled out between them while the rest was divided into lots that sold for $1000 each. The town grew slowly however, with a population of only 324 by 1860.

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The first irrigation ditch in Boulder County dug.

Coal discovered in Marshall area southeast of Boulder.

Jim Baker mined surface coal near Lafayette and sold it in Denver.


1860

The Wellman brothers planted the first wheat crop in Boulder County.

The first schoolhouse in Colorado built strictly for educational purposes was erected in Boulder on the southwest corner of 14th and Front [Walnut]. Schoolteacher and carpenter Abner Brown arrived in Boulder and noted the lack of a schoolhouse for the number of children that lived there. With help from locals, Brown began building a one room schoolhouse on the southwest corner of 15th and Walnut Street. The building was finished by October and became the first structure in Colorado designed specifically for education. It served as Boulder’s schoolhouse until 1872 when a larger school was built. The original frame was relocated to 11th and Walnut and converted to a private residence before being destroyed by a fire in 1890.

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The Ward Mining District was formed; named after Calvin Ward.

Andrew J. Macky erected the first frame building in Boulder on the northeast corner of 14th and Pearl.


1861

Congress voted to create the new Colorado Territory in February of 1861. This decision was the continuation of a vote taken by Colorado settlers in 1859 where they decided to become a territory rather than a state. This meant that the administrative costs of governance would be handled by the federal government until the territory became a state. The admission of new territories was a contentious issue in the House of Representatives until the Civil War began, which cleared the way for the admission of the free Colorado Territory.

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Boulder County was formed on November 11, 1861.

Treaty of Fort Wise signed with leaders of several bands of Arapahos and Cheyennes “extinguishing their land title” in Colorado except for a reserve in Southeast Colorado.


1862

Congress passed the Homestead Act in May of 1862, intending to open up public lands in the West to individual farmers. Adults over the age of 21 were eligible to claim 160 acres of land provided they cultivated the land and improved it with structures. After five years the land was theirs to own for a small filing fee. The act was part of the federal government’s efforts to encourage settlement of the west, but was only nominally successful as it proved extremely difficult for individuals to create productive farms on these small plots of land.

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1864

Joseph Marshall erected a small blast furnace and produced pig iron from the local hematite southeast of Boulder.

Boulder and Longmont’s Company “D” of the 3rd Colorado Volunteer Cavalry involved in the November Sand Creek Massacre.


1865

The town of Valmont [contraction of “valley” and “mountain”] platted; it soon rivaled Boulder in size and commercial activity.


1866

Boulder County’s first newspaper, the Valmont Bulletin, began publication on New Years Day.

The first Congregational Church in Colorado was formed in Valmont in 1864. In 1866 they began building a new church in Boulder on 11th and Pine Street, at the site of what is now the Carnegie Library. The hillside spot was chosen so that the bell tower would be visible to residents for miles around. Construction was completed in 1870 and featured the first church bell tower in Boulder County.

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Valmont Presbyterian Church built.


1867

Boulderites entice editor of Valmont Bulletin to move his newspaper to Boulder where it was renamed the Boulder Valley News.


1869

The Boulder County Pioneer succeed the Boulder Valley News, only to be succeeded by the Boulder County News.

The town of Ryssby formed.

The first county fair in Colorado Territory opened in Boulder on October 12, 1869.

Silver discovered at Caribou re-igniting the mining boom.


1871

Boulder City is incorporated.

Longmont settled by the Chicago-Colorado Colony.


1873

Railroad extended to Boulder.


1874

The first mill and smelter [Boyd Mill] erected in Boulder

Martha Maxwell opened her Rocky Mountain Museum on Pearl Street. Her taxidermy collection became centerpiece of Colorado’s exhibit at 1876 Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia.


1875

Niwot platted.


1876

The first high school graduation class in Territory of Colorado was in Boulder.

Colorado became the 38th state in the Union on August 1, 1876 with a proclamation by President Ulysses Grant. The process took a number of years as their petitions for statehood were continually vetoed by President Andrew Johnson during his time in office. The statehood bill was ratified by Colorado voters early in 1876 and had passed both the House and the Senate the previous year. Colorado became known as the Centennial State as it was incorporated exactly one hundred years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

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1877

The University of Colorado opened.

State Preparatory School founded as part of University because of a lack of adequately prepared high school graduates.


1878

Mary Rippon appointed first woman professor at CU.


1880

The Boulder telephone exchange opened with 25 subscriptions.


1882

The University’s first graduating class consisted of six members.

The cornerstone for the old Boulder County Courthouse on Boulder’s old town square was laid on July 4, 1882.

Pine Street School [Whittier School] opened.


1883

The Greeley, Salt Lake, and Pacific railroad completed between Boulder and Sunset; extended service to mountain communities.


1884

Joseph B. “Rocky Mountain Joe” Sturtevant began to record the early history of Boulder county by taking photographs between 1884 and 1910.


1887

The Simpson Coal Mine was opened in 1887 on the land of Mary Miller. Lafayette and Mary Miller were homesteaders who moved to Boulder in 1874. Lafayette died in 1878 and Mary moved back to their farm east of town. Coal mining in the area began on her property in 1887 and Mary designated 150 acres of her land for a new town which she named after her husband Lafayette. The Simpson Mine became the largest in northern Colorado until its closing in 1927 and the area’s population grew rapidly as mining brought wealth to the area.

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1889

“Old” Broomfield began to develop when railroad depot and post office were relocated after standard gauge replaced narrow gauge tracks one mile to the east.

Mapleton School in Boulder opened.


1890

New Boulder train depot dedicated at 14th and Water St [Canyon Blvd].

The Boulder Camera was founded by Frederick P. Johnson and Bert Bell. The newspaper covered local news and became a daily in 1891. The paper’s name was changed to The Boulder Daily Camera the same year and today it is known simply as the Daily Camera.

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1892

Mount Saint Gertrude Academy opened.


1894

The Boulder Creek “100-year” flood damaged the town. In May of 1894, 60 straight hours of warm rain combined with a rapid snowmelt to create a 100 year flood that ravaged Boulder. The floodwaters covered most of the town, inundating the area from Walnut Street to Arapaho and from 9th Street to the city limits in the east. In addition it washed out many houses as well as the bridges on 6th street and 12th street. The town was split in two as transportation and communication services were knocked out. Reconstruction began soon after the flood but proved an arduous process.

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1895

State Preparatory School moves into its own building at 17th and Pearl.


1896

Colorado Sanitarium, a branch of Dr. J.H. Kellogg’s Battle Creek Sanitarium in Michigan, dedicated in Boulder.


1898

Boulderites approved $20,000 bond election for Texas-Chautauqua Auditorium opened on July 4, 1898.

The Colorado & Northwestern Railroad route between Boulder and Ward named “The Switzerland Trail of America” by a Greeley man.


1899

Tungsten was discovered in the mountains west of Boulder. Extending in a 9.5 mile strip from Arkansas Mountain to Nederland, it was one of the most productive veins in the region. The discovery coincided with the rising demand for tungsten and a number of eastern financiers began investing in the region. The ore, which sold for $2 per unit in 1901, reached $16 per unit by 1916 as the United States’ entry into World War One greatly increased the demand. By that time Boulder County was the world’s leading producer of tungsten ore.

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Boulder’s request for 1,800 acres of mountain backdrop/watershed extending from South Boulder Creek to Sunshine Canyon approved by U.S. Congress.


1900

The first automobile seen in Boulder was in June, 1900. By 1906, there were 26 registered auto cars, or “mankillers”.

Summer home of John and Kate Harbeck completed; now a Boulder landmark, present-day home of the Boulder Museum of History.

Disastrous fire destroyed central Ward.

Lafayette business district burned.


1904

City ordinance made it “unlawful for any person to ride or drive within Boulder at a rate of speed in excess of 6 miles per hour”.


1906

The Carnegie Library was built with money donated by steel tycoon Andrew Carnegie. Located at 1125 Pine Street the building was modeled after Greek architecture, reflecting Boulderites opinion of themselves as the “Athens of the West.” Originally the Boulder Public Library, the building was renovated in 1981 and became the Carnegie Branch Library for Local History, housing the collections of the Boulder Historical and Genealogical societies.

 207-14-17

Ed Tangen took the first of his 16,000 photographs capturing the history of Boulder County from 1906 to 1951.

Curran Opera House opens at 1132-34 Pearl Street.


1907

Boulder passed anti-saloon ordinance.

Three were killed and the Boulder freight depot blown up when a union brakeman set fire to burn out scab switchmen asleep in a caboose. Fire spread to a freight car loaded with 2,400 pounds of dynamite.


1908

First run of electric Interurban train from Denver to Boulder.

Adolph J. Zang’s 4,000 acre ranch occupied a large percentage of what is now the City of Broomfield and Jefferson County Airport.

World’s largest tungsten mill built north of Nederland.

Ivy Baldwin made a record breaking high wire walk on a cable stretched 565 feet high across Eldorado Springs canyon.

Ten thousand pumpkin pies, thirty thousand sandwiches, and 75 barrels of coffee were served at Longmont’s Annual Pumpkin Pie Days.


1909

The Boulderado Hotel opened for business on New Years Day.

“Baseball Billy” Sunday, the “World’s Greatest” Evangelist, held a crusade in Boulder.

The Union Pacific Railroad introduced a self-contained forty-two passenger rail car on the Denver-Boulder route.

The 78 foot car was powered by a six cylinder gasoline engine, had seats of “unusual width”, oval windows that could be opened for fresh air, and a compartment for smokers.


1910

3,000 coal miners in Boulder County go on strike; lasted five years.


1911

The Boulder Canyon Road was completed in 1871, but it wouldn’t be until 1911 that the first car, a Stanley Steamer, made the difficult trip up the canyon from Boulder to Nederland. The Steamer replaced the daily stagecoach which had made the 18-mile trip for the last 40 years. Nearly abandoned by 1890, Nederland’s population grew to 3,000 in the early twentieth century with the discovery of tungsten in the area.

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Western States Cutlery and Manufacturing Company founded in Boulder.


1914

Charles C. Buckingham family donated Boulder Falls site to the City of Boulder.

US Army occupied Louisville during coal miner’s strike.


1915

William F. Cody met with old friends in Boulder while in town with the Sells-Floto Circus/Buffalo Bill’s Original Wild West Show.

Enos Mills, Father of Rocky Mountain National Park, succeeded in stimulating legislation that resulted in establishing Park.


1916

The Colorado Chautauqua Bulletin reported “We Call it the Colorado Chautauqua, but it might as well be called the Colorado Music Festival”.


1917

The University of Colorado faculty voted to approve one of the first Reserve Officer Training [ROTC] programs in the nation.

With the automobile becoming commonplace, the process of paving Boulder’s streets began in September, at the corner of 18th and Pearl. The paving quickly spread down Pearl Street, the commercial center of town. 15-foot-wide concrete sidewalks were also added on either side of the street, replacing the flagstone walkways.

207-10-17


1918

Boulder Day Nursery founded as one of the earliest day care centers in the nation.

Spanish influenza resulted in 41 deaths in Nederland and a quarantine in Boulder.


1919

Switzerland Trail train scrapped.

Lions Club erected Panorama Park Shelter House on Flagstaff Mountain and donated it to the City of Boulder; this began a half-century of the Club’s providing park facilities to the city.


1920

Boulder Boy Scouts, led by Ralph Hubbard, performed Indian dances before the British Royal Family, King Albert, and the Olympics in Antwerp.


1921

Hellems was the first building completed in the “Rural Italian” or “Tuscan” style [sandstone and red roof tiles] on the University of Colorado campus.


1922

Florence C. Molloy and Mabel N. Macleay operated a taxi and touring company in Boulder.

141-16-9

KKK paraded down Pearl Street.


1923

Construction began on the Lakeside [Valmont] Power Plant, the “largest industrial project in the history of Boulder

County”. It is still considered one of the most efficient plants in Public the Public Service Company [now EXCEL].
Police officer, Elmer Cobb, was murdered. Case remains unsolved.

Hygienic Swimming Pool [Spruce Pool] opened using warm water produced from the manufacture of ice at adjacent Hygienic Ice Company.


1924

The University of Colorado Stadium [Folsom Field] completed in time for Homecoming.


1925

Fire destroyed Bleecker and Company plant at 3rd and Arapahoe in Boulder. Plant manufactured luminous paint and “Zero Hour Bombs”.


1927

Fred C. Smith of Boulder set a worlds record for continuous automobile driving of 104 hours and 8 minutes.


1930

Former President of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union arrested for selling homemade intoxicants to university students. She led movement that closed Boulder saloons in 1907.


1931

The last run of Boulder’s electric street cars. Begun in 1901, the streetcars ran the length of Pearl Street, from 12th street all the way to 31st. Pedestrians could hop on and off the cars as they traveled downtown. The streetcar service was even extended to Denver. By 1931 however, many residents had acquired personal automobiles and the streetcar was becoming increasingly obsolete.

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1932

Old Boulder County Courthouse burns down.


1933

The largest still “ever found in Northern Colorado” uncovered on Gunbarrel Hill east of Boulder.


1934

CCC boys finish Flagstaff Mt. amphitheater

First Pay Dirt Pow Wow celebration


1936

On January 20, a stray spark caused a large explosion at Monarch Mine No. 2, a part of Colorado’s northern coal field. The explosion occurred at 6:20 A.M, killing eight miners who were working the graveyard shift. Had the explosion occurred an hour later, over 100 dayshift miners would have been working in the mine. As it was two miners survived, but debris and poisonous gases prevented rescuers from reaching the other victims in time. The mine was permanently closed and a granite gravestone was erected at the current site of the Flatirons Mall.

420-Jaramillo-Joe

The Curran Opera house was renovated and turned into the Boulder Theater. The interior was updated and expanded to make the theater more suitable for film screenings. A number of art deco style changes were also made including the addition of colorful murals and exterior decoration. The theater became a historic landmark in 1980 and incorporated musical acts, making it a national attraction and a staple of Boulder’s entertainment scene.

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1937

First traffic light installed in Boulder at the corner of 12th (Broadway) and Pearl.

New WPA-built Boulder High School opened. Nude sculptures of “Wisdom and Strength” [Minnie and Jake] over entrance allowed to remain despite controversy.


1938

Byron “Whizzer” White, later Rhodes Scholar and U.S. Supreme Court Justice, became CU’s first All-American football player.


1944

Glenn Miller’s plane went down.

Boulder Historical Society organized. History museum proposed in new Municipal Building.


1951

The Denver-Boulder turnpike was completed and opened to traffic in 1952. The highway was the first of its kind in Colorado and preceded the introduction of the Interstate system. It cost 25 cents for a trip from Denver to Boulder and provided a pleasant drive through rolling green farmland. Boulder’s population began to explode around this time and traffic volume so far exceeded expectations that the turnpike fees paid off the $6.3 million in bonds in 15 years. As a result the toll road became a free public road in 1967, becoming the first in the country to do so.

504-5-2b

National Bureau of Standards broke ground for Radio Propagation Laboratories in Boulder.

Construction of CU’s $3,000,000 Student Memorial Center began.


1952

Engine #30 of Switzerland Trail RR placed in Central Park.

Secret Rocky Flats Nuclear Weapons Factory opens 8 miles south of Boulder.


1953

Water bond issue for $2,000,000 was passed to build Boulder Reservoir in the northeast part of town. It was a part of the Colorado-Big Thompson trans-mountain water diversion project.


1954

Construction of Boulder’s first “skyscraper” began. It was the 9-story $1,000,000 Colorado Insurance Group building at 14th and Walnut.

The $2,000,000 Boulder Canyon highway, an all-paved mountain road between Boulder and Nederland, was officially dedicated.

Dial phone service was inaugurated in Boulder by Mountain States Telephone & Telegraph at a cost of $2,000,000.


1957

Railroad passenger service closed to the old depot in downtown Boulder. It then became a bus depot until 1972 when the city made plans to demolish it at its location on 14th and Canyon. The building was saved by a number of concerned citizens and was relocated to 30th and Pearl Street. Now a historical landmark, the depot was used as an event center until acquired by the city in 2008 and moved to Boulder Junction, near the Northern and Santa Fe railroad. Built by the Union Pacific Railroad in 1890, the structure is a beautiful example of Victorian architecture, something that has helped it survive numerous relocations.

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1959

Boulder became first city in Colorado to have Direct Distant Dialing service enabling customers to dial calls throughout the nation without operator assistance.

PLAN-Boulder organized and secured passage of “Blue Line” to prevent development along mountain backdrop.

Martin Acres subdivision was developing and homes were offered for $700 down FHA and no down G.I. loans.

The average cost of new homes in Boulder soared to a record of $12,755.

Boulder voters adopted a dog-leash law.


1960

A new instrument – the atomic clock – is introduced at the National Bureau of Standards. It is accurate to within a second every 1,000 years.

Skiing at Chautauqua using a rope tow was free for elementary school children.

The Boulder-Longmont Diagonal road (Hwy 119) completed.

Construction begins on the new Boulder Public Library on Canyon after Boulderites pass a library bond.

The Chamber of Commerce estimates the population of Boulder to be at 42,000; more than doubling in size over a ten-year period.


1961

The state of Colorado purchased 565 acres below the flatirons with the intent of turning it over to the federal government for the construction of the National Center for Atmospheric Research. An exception was added to Boulder’s “Blue Line”, a city policy which controlled settlement in the foothills west of Boulder by denying water to these houses. With that out of the way, construction began on the Mesa Lab in 1964. The structure was modeled after the Mesa Verde cliff dwellings in southwest Colorado and the sandstone building material was designed to blend into the flatiron landscape that surrounded it. Today NCAR works closely with the University of Colorado and conducts cutting edge research in the field of atmospheric science.

750-3-1

A new combined Department of Parks and Recreation was formed and approved in a special election.

Universal water meters monitoring water usage for residents use was proposed.

Traffic code amended to give bicyclists rights as well as obligations under Motor Vehicle regulations.


1962

Valverdan Park renamed Scott Carpenter Park in honor of Scott Carpenter, a NASA astronaut, from Boulder, who manned the Aurora 7.

Orbiting Solar Observatory satellite, that was built and developed in Boulder, was launched.

The annexation of the 575-acre Table Mesa subdivision was approved by the City Council.

Representatives were sent to Washington D.C. to present Boulder’s bid for an All American City award.


1963

Crossroads mall built.

Boulder city council enacted an ordinance requiring city licenses on all bicycles ridden in Boulder whether owned by residents or non-residents.

Enchanted Mesa subdivision condemnation process begins. Although $105,000 was approved by taxpayers for purchase, owners want $876,000.


1964

Building permits worth $3.3 million were issued for 300 new dwellings in Table Mesa. First residents moved into area in May of 1963. Construction for Southern Hills Junior High School also begins.

Boulder’s water was treated fully for the first time in its 92-year history. The new $2.3 million filtration plant capable of treating water from Silver Lake and Barker Reservoir is the first stage of a $7.5 million water improvement system.

The space industry, with the importance of the National Bureau of Standards and Beech Aircraft Corporation in the launching of the Saturn I rocket, had a direct impact on Boulder’s growth. In the last 13 years, population and employment figures doubled while there was a tripling of retail sales and a 400% increase in total assessed valuation of the city.

Blue and white 6 by 24 inch street signs mounted on 7-foot poles began replacing old concrete obelisk markers to facilitate drivers finding their way around the growing city of Boulder.


1965

The IBM plant along the Boulder-Longmont Diagonal triggered growth that is ongoing.


1967

Boulder voters approved the nation’s first tax to preserve open space in the community. The tax increase was used to purchase land around the town and protect it. This has prevented urban sprawl from occurring in Boulder and in turn has raised the quality of life in town. The county now owns 99,000 acres of open space and leases some to local farmers while other land has been turned into public parks for the enjoyment of all.

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Boulder votes approved sale of intoxicating beverages after 60 years.

Regularly scheduled railroad passenger service ends in Boulder.

Denver-Boulder Turnpike became toll free; the debt was paid off early.


1969

Boulder’s Central Park declared health hazard because of transients.

Mount Saint Gertrude Girls School closed.

Celestial Seasonings, now a worldwide tea company, was founded by Mo Siegel of Boulder.


1970

CU’s Regent’s Hall occupied by youthful anti-war demonstrators.


1971

Boulder adopted a fifty-five foot height limitation for new buildings.


1972

Demolition of Central School stimulated growth of Historic Boulder, Inc. and the adoption of a City Landmark Ordinance.

Turnpike interchange at 28th Street occupied by antiwar demonstrators.


1974

Boulder’s Flatirons School bombed.

Bomb explodes in car at Burger King in Boulder killing three.

Bomb explodes in Chautauqua killing three.


1975

Red Zinger Bicycle Classic Race, started by Celestial Seasonings, first raced through Boulder. Lasted 5 years until it became sponsored by Adolph Coors Co.


1976

Boulder votes approved a 2% growth limitation referendum, know as the Danish Plan.

Pearl Street is closed to automobile traffic and the pedestrian mall is opened. With Boulder’s population explosion in the 60’s and 70’s, Boulder’s downtown area was becoming an afterthought as shopping centers sprung up on the outskirts of town. Local architect Carl Worthington proposed the idea of a pedestrian mall modeled after European walking plazas. The city received a grant from the federal government and a number of local organizations worked together to make the plan a reality. The mall revitalized downtown Boulder and is one of the most successful walking malls in the country.

517-1-8


1978

The forty-five year old Pow Wow Days are held for the last time in Boulder. Moved to Longmont and Louisville before its demise in 1982.


1979

The Bolder Boulder was run for the first time on Memorial Day through the streets of Boulder. 2700 participants competed in the inaugural 10k race which finished at Boulder High School. In 1981 the finish was switched to Folsom Field on the campus of the University of Colorado. This helped facilitate the growth of the event, and today over 50,000 people participate in one of the premier running events in the country.


1980

Kinetics Conveyance Race first held at the Boulder Reservoir


1989

Tom Czech, a CU professor, and Sidney Altman, a CU graduate, won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry


1997

The Dushanbe Tea House was erected on 13th street. Beginning in 1987, forty artisans from the city of Dushanbe, Tajikistan constructed the exquisite building in traditional style. It was then disassembled and shipped to Boulder in 200 separate crates in 1990. A lack of funds and arguments over the best location delayed the project over the next seven years. These problems were finally ironed out and construction began on the tea house in 1997 before it opened to the public the following year.


1998

Mount Saint Gertrude Academy reopened as a retirement community.


2001

27.5 square miles (71.2 km2) of Boulder County’s southeastern corner and its approximate population of 40,000 became part of the City and County of Broomfield.


2005

The Boulder International Film Festival (BIFF) is held each February by the Colorado Film Society, a nonprofit organization founded by local filmmakers Kathy and Robin Beeck. BIFF is dedicated to providing the urban, film–hip audiences of the Denver/Boulder metro area with an early look at the best new films in international cinema. There also are conversations with directors, producers, and actors; world–class food and parties; and an opportunity to rub elbows with filmmakers in a winter wonderland. BIFF has hosted over 150 filmmakers from around the world since the Boulder–based Beeck sisters led the inaugural event in 2005.


2009

Boulder, Colorado host its 150th anniversary celebration. Check out this video for little history about Boulder over the past century and a half.


2010

On Labor Day a wildfire broke out in Four Mile Canyon northwest of Boulder. A dry August and wind speeds up to 60 mph created conditions ideal for the fire which ripped through the canyon. 6,000 acres were ablaze by the end of the day, forcing the evacuation of 3,000 residents in the area. Firemen contained the blaze a week later but not before 169 homes were destroyed, making it the most destructive fire in Colorado history at the time.


2012

The 25th anniversary of the Boulder Farmer’s Market occurred. In 1986 a group of local farmers decided to organize a farmer’s market to combat the pricing out of small farmers. Markets had occurred informally in the preceding years but had met with little success. This time the farmers secured a permit from the city and set up in Central Park. The following year the market became a non-profit corporation and began collecting a small percentage of food sales to offset operating costs. The market continued to grow and today it is a popular community event in Boulder that helps promote local agriculture.

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A number of athletes with Boulder connections competed in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Boulder natives Timmy Duggan and Taylor Phinney competed in cycling events, with Phinney coming in fourth in the Men’s Individual Road Race and the Men’s Time Trial. Boulder resident Laura Bennet competed in the Women’s Triathlon while current CU student Emma Coburn finished 9th in the Women’s 3,000 Meter Steeplechase. Former Buffalo Jenny Simpson competed in the Women’s 1,500 Meters. In total eleven athletes with Boulder ties competed in the London Olympics.

Courtesy of boulderhistory.org

 

John Marcotte

720-771-9401

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More Home Buyers Asking for Insurance Loss History Reports From Sellers (C.L.U.E. Reports)

More Home Buyers Asking for Insurance Loss History Reports From Sellers (C.L.U.E. Reports)

 

An increasing trend in Colorado real estate is home buyers requiring home sellers to provide a C.L.U.E. Home Seller’s Disclosure Report as a contingency to purchase contract. C.L.U.E. Home Seller’s Disclosure Reports provide a five-year insurance loss history for a given address, without divulging personal and private information about a property owner.

FOR BUYERS: If the report for your property indicates the owner/home has sustained an insurance loss within the past five years the availability and/or pricing of buyer’s new homeowners insurance policy can be greatly impacted. You might not be able to get a policy or it may come at much higher cost than you are expecting. In addition, if a claim is shown, you can make sure to verify the repairs have been completed, request work receipts, and even have your home inspector evaluate the repairs for you. If the repairs have not been made that raises some flags and you want to share these areas with your home inspector as well.

FOR SELLERS:   You can order this when you list your home (and not wait for the buyer to request it) By ordering the C.L.U.E. Home Seller’s Disclosure Report ahead of time you can be ready should this contingency arise when you receive an offer. In addition, providing this report to potential buyers will make them more comfortable when deciding to make an offer because the loss history is known. This may give your home an advantage over one where the insurance loss history is not known.

The seller’s insurance agent should be able to run this report, or the seller can order one directly online at Lexus Nexus

Boulder homes for sale

 

 

John Marcotte

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Home Prices Expected to Rise at least 3.3 Percent Annually through 2017

Home Prices Expected to Rise at least 3.3 Percent Annually through 2017

home_prices_rising The housing recovery is expected to grow at an annualized rate of 0.6 percent through the third quarter of this year, then gain momentum and prices are projected to grow 3.7 percent between the third quarters of 2013 and 2014 until settling down to 3.3 percent annual increases over the next three years according to Fiserv, a financial services technology provider using data from the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA).

Both home prices and home sales volumes increased steadily last year, making 2012 the first positive year for both prices and sales since the housing market crash, excluding gains induced by the home buyer tax credits in 2009 and 2010.

“Although some recent real estate activity has been speculative, it seems as if buyers have more realistic expectations about housing market returns after having lived through the largest housing market crash in U.S. history,” says David Stiff, chief economist, Fiserv.

“2012 was the first year since 1997 that the housing market has resembled something recognizable as normal. For the past 15 years, home price changes and sales volumes have either been boosted by a bubble mentality or crushed by crash psychology,” continues Stiff.

“Back in 1997, housing prices grew 3 percent, just below the 5 percent long-term average rate of appreciation. From 1998 to 2006, prices appreciated at levels above 5 percent, with double-digit price increases in many of those years. Then, after 2006, the market collapsed as euphoria turned to panic. It took until the end of 2011 before housing markets finally started to stabilize. The latest Case-Shiller results show a return to a historically normal pace of price appreciation in the last year.”

The recovery in home prices has been solid and broad-based. At the end of the 2012 third quarter, prices were rising in approximately 62 percent of all U.S. metro areas, compared to 12.5 percent in the same period a year ago. Average U.S. home prices increased 3.6 percent from the third quarter of 2011 to the comparable period of 2012. Many of the metro areas that suffered the most severe declines during the housing market crash enjoyed the highest price increases in that period.

 

For more information, visit www.realestateeconomywatch.com

 

John Marcotte

720-771-9401

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